How often have you raced out of the house without enough layers? Or thought, “Who needs sunscreen in the dead of winter?” And how many times were you “too tired” to even bother showering? Chances are your fitness hygiene may be, well, gross. Worse yet, you may be putting yourself—and sometimes others—at risk with anything from cracked skin to acne or even ringworm.
Here are some tips for putting more care into yourself before, during, and after your workout.
If you don’t think twice about keeping germs at bay in the gym, here’s something that may make you reconsider. In late 2017, fitness equipment review website Fitrated teamed up with EmLab P&K for a study on how much bacteria is found on gym equipment.
The results are nasty. The experiment found that free weights have 362-times more germs than the average toilet seat; treadmills 74-times more; and exercise bikes carry more than 39-times more.
“Before joining a gym, you may want to ask about its cleaning practices to ensure things are being wiped down with bleach-based products on the regular,” explains Tania Elliott, M.D., clinical instructor at NYU School of Medicine. “All-natural products may not be the best in this situation.”
But don’t completely rely entirely on the staff. Most studios and commercial gyms have wipes readily available for members to wipe down equipment. “Use them,” says Pete Van Zile, principal scientist at GlaxoSmithKline consumer health care, “especially during cold and flu season. Viruses can live on surfaces hours after an infected person touches them.”
Avoid touching your hands to your eyes, nose, and mouth mid-workout, and wash your hands immediately after you finish your session.
Another sneakily germ-filled culprit: your cellphone.
“Chances are you put your phone on the floor, or on a bench, or on another piece of possibly dirty equipment,” explains Elliott. “You might wipe down machinery but not the phone that was on that sweaty germy surface.”
Be sure to wash your face before your workout, but despite the urge, avoid using moisturizer. “If you use moisturizer, when you go to wipe away your sweat, you may be pushing residue in that will clog your pores and cause acne,” Heslin says. Moisturize post-workout after you cleanse your face again.
“Look at the ingredients to be sure you’re using a disinfectant,” says Elliott.
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Avoid the Grind
If you’re a nighttime teeth grinder, you may also be clenching those pearly whites when you’re trying to set a new squat PR. “Research shows that three times the amount of force is used grinding during the day versus the evening,” explains Inna Chern, D.D.S., an NYC-based dentist. Over time, this can lead to issues like jaw disorders (temporomandibular disorders or TMD), headaches, even damaged or worn-down teeth.
If you happen to catch yourself in the mirror biting down midlift, Chern says to consider trying a soft appliance mouth guard. “Even one from a pharmacy is totally fine to wear during a workout.”
Mouth breathers (we’re looking at you, runners and cardio junkies), listen up: “When you breathe mostly through your mouth, your salivary flow goes down, similar to dry mouth, which can increase the risk of cavities and plaque buildup,” explains Chern. A quick fix: Try lowering your workout intensity to accommodate closing your mouth and breathing through your nose.
Is washing your hair after every workout a necessity or more based on personal preference?
“It’s not necessary to shampoo it every single time, but if you find you are drenched in sweat, like after a cardio workout, then it might make you feel cleaner,” explains George Papanikolas, an L.A.-based celebrity hairdresser and master hair stylist for Matrix.
In fact, washing your hair too frequently could have some negative effects. “It’s not that it’s necessarily bad, but washing every day strips the hair of its natural oils, which could actually dry out your scalp and cause it to produce more oil, making your hair greasier much quicker,” Papanikolas explains.
“If you find your hair is really greasy, it may seem counterintuitive to not wash it every day, but it allows your scalp to have more of a balance.”
“This gentle, sulfate-free shampoo is a good option, especially for those trying to maintain longer hair,” says Papanikolas.
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Your Post-Workout Freshen-Up Routine
To shower or not to shower, that is the question. “The longer sweat, oils, and stuff stay on your skin, the more chance you’ll have of getting fungal infections, rashes, and acne, so it’s best to shower right away after a workout,” explains Amanda Doyle, M.D., a dermatologist at New York’s Russak Dermatology. If you’re not doing a heavy workout, and there isn’t much perspiration or sweat, you can delay the shower and use an antibacterial cleansing wipe in the interim.
Just be sure you test the wipe first on a small section of your body to check whether it’s compatible with your skin, suggests Doyle, and still shower when you can to reduce the risk of spreading infection. “Think of it like riding the subway or public transportation—we don’t always sweat, but if you’re touching the poles and handrails, you want to wash your hands because so many people come into contact with the same space,” she says.
No matter when you choose to shower, be sure to get out of your wet, sweat-drenched clothing right away. “You can develop rashes or acne from pores getting clogged if you stay in your damp gym clothes,” Heslin says. Jock itch, which is a fungus on the skin in the groin area, is another possible result if you stay in those nasty workout shorts.
Attention, all hat wearers! When was the last time you washed that baseball cap that’s seen its share of sweaty workouts? If you’re noticing acne around your hat line, you may have found your culprit. “No one is going to wash their hat after every run, but if your hat has a cotton insert pad, wipe that down with alcohol, and wash your face before you put on the hat, so your skin is clean and your pores won’t get clogged,” explains Heslin.
While you’re at it, even though some of your gym clothes may pass the sniff test, it’s probably best not to wear them for more than one workout without a good washing. “We do have natural oils on our body, and wearing the same clothing will increase the risk of breakouts and infections,” Doyle explains. Plus, that gear comes in contact with other people’s germs, too, so while you may not have sweat a lot in that hoodie, it’s possible you wore it on a machine where another person got sweaty and spread his or her germs. “Use antibacterial spray and wash your athletic wear frequently,” says Doyle.
“New synthetic fabrics that make up today’s activewear, athleisure and workout clothing require different cleaning technologies to penetrate the hard fiber and remove, kill and prevent what is unwanted,” says Drew Westervelt, founder and COO of HEX Performance.
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Minding the Sunny, Outdoor Elements
If you like to to take your cardio outdoors, there are certain precautions you need to take, no matter what the temps are. When it’s warm and sunny out, wearing sunscreen is of utmost importance.
“All those runs add up, and exposing the same areas over and over can add up,” explains Hadley King, M.D., a New York City–based dermatologist. “Skin cancer is quite proportional to cumulative lifelong sun exposure.”
Wearing a hat can help, but always apply an SPF 30 or higher. “Because you’re going to be sweating, you don’t want a thick cream that will clog your pores. Instead, look for an alcohol-based, sports-gel sunscreen that’s lighter,” says Debora Heslin, a dermatology physician assistant in New York City.
In addition to applying SPF on any exposed skin, slather on a moisturizer to keep areas like your cheeks and fingers from getting chapped and cracked.
“There’s less humidity during the winter, so your skin naturally gets very dry,” says Heslin. “Moisturizer can provide a barrier between the wind and your skin and help prevent cracking and eczema.”
Gloves and hats can help, too. Cracked skin on your hands won’t translate well in the gym when you’re trying to do pullups or lift a heavy barbell. Plus, open wounds are more susceptible to infections.
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